Formal to Superior
Workplace · Meeting
You
一点、懸念がございます。少々よろしいでしょうか。
いってん、けねんがございます。しょうしょうよろしいでしょうか。
There is one concern I'd like to raise. Would you spare me a moment?
Romaji: Itten, kenen ga gozaimasu. Shoushou yoroshii deshou ka. / Reply Romaji: Douzo, kikimashou.
Reply
どうぞ、聞きましょう。
どうぞ、ききましょう。
Please, go ahead.
Gesture & etiquette
Raise your hand slightly at the table before speaking. After permission is granted, present the concern calmly with evidence or reasoning prepared. End with a constructive alternative: 「〜という方法も考えられます」(This approach might also work).
「懸念」(kenen — concern/worry) is a formal word that signals the issue is substantive, not trivial. Raising it as 「一点」(one point) keeps the scope manageable and non-confrontational. In Japanese meetings, challenges are rarely direct — this framing invites collaborative problem-solving rather than debate.